D&D 5E Weapons You Miss

[Azzy]

5e is great, don't get me wrong. In simplifying things, though, the weapon list was reduced significantly from earlier editions. Some of the weapons (like broadswords, many polearms, dire flails, etc.) were deservedly put on the chopping block, but there are others that are missed.

So, my EN Fam, what weapons from earlier editions that aren't in 5e do you miss the most?

For me, it's garrotes, scythes, long spears, whip-daggers, bolas, chakram, repeating crossbows, and specialty arrows (sheaf, flight, et al.).

 

[Undrave]

This was deliberately moved away from in 5e, there they focused more on the capabilities of the user rather than their weapon.
The issue with having a best weapon for the job is that you are penalised for using any other weapon for that, even one that would thematically fit your character more.

Then they should give us more properties to hang fighting styles on.

There should definitely be an upside to specializing, however. Maybe Feats (and fighting styles) should be about specialisation, but you can get different benefits from playing a character with a vast armory in a game with no feats?

 

[Minigiant]

It's less the actual weapon I miss and more

1) Weapon groups
2) Weird exotic weapons

I miss.

Sure. Spiked chain were silly but they were flails and got flail benefits.

 

[Undrave]

It's less the actual weapon I miss and more

1) Weapon groups
2) Weird exotic weapons

I miss.

Sure. Spiked chain were silly but they were flails and got flail benefits.

Really, only three things matter for weapons: What's their damage dice, how many hands do they need to use and what's their range?

I guess 'which stat they use to attack' is also one... And Rogues and Monks have some random restrictions but in general... weapons don't really matter much at all. It's really zestless.

 

[Minigiant]

Really, only three things matter for weapons: What's their damage dice, how many hands do they need to use and what's their range?

I guess 'which stat they use to attack' is also one... And Rogues and Monks have some random restrictions but in general... weapons don't really matter much at all. It's really zestless.

The whole 5e weapon rules seem like they were designed for an optional rules variant that never came.

 

[Undrave]

The whole 5e weapon rules seem like they were designed for an optional rules variant that never came.

At least we got the damage type feats in Tasha's, I guess? But they feel almost like stuff that should be basic properties of the damage types. Especially the 'on a crit' aspects. They'd just need one for Slashing damage.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

We're getting a whole Caster centric setting, so I think it would be cool to have a Martial centric setting. My best idea for that would be one with giant monsters you need to climb, Shadow of the Colossus style, to be able to expose their weak spots and open them up to the rest of the party. Then, you can use those giant monsters' remains to craft exotic weapons and armors with new properties, in a Monster Hunter style!

I honestly have felt D&D needed this since I was a kid.

The first time I remember going "WTH?!?" about an RPG (or really any game) was AD&D 2E and realizing how all these massive monsters could be easily killed with tiny weapons w/o getting to weak spots (even Tolkien knew this, hence the black arrow and so on!). I did like that some weapons did more damage to Large, but I felt like trying to use some short-ass sword to kill a giant, let alone a dragon should warrant a penalty unless you were clever.

Dragon's Dogma, which was a profoundly D&D-inspired game, had you crawling around on cyclopses, manticores, and so on, and that felt way more "right", like you had to actually make an effort to kill them.

And yeah Monster Hunter is another good touchpoint. So you'd get Dragon's Dogma, Shadow of the Colossus and Monster Hunter influences together and that would be great for something Martial-oriented.

 

[Bolares]

I can't really play archers, because I always miss with the longbow

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

If you were gaming in the 80s and didn't have an item like this homebrewed, were you really gaming in the 80s?

What weapon do I miss?

Why, the GLAIVE of course.

Oh, wait. The D&D glaive was a ... pole arm? Yet another pole arm?

.....nevermind.

 

[Minigiant]

Anyway.

here is the basics of the martial weapons I've added to 5e. Enjoy

Weapons	Type	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
chakram	knife	25gp	1d4 slashing	1lbs	finesse, light, thrown (20/60)
garrote	flail	2cp	-	-	finesse, two-handed, special
heavy flail	flail	25gp	1d12 bludgeoning	8lbs	heavy, two handed
heavy pick	pick	20gp	1d10 piercing	6lbs	two handed
light pick	pick	5gp	1d6 piercing	2lbs	finesse, light
longspear	spear	5gp	1d8 piercing	6lbs	reach, special
polehammer	hammer		1d10 bludgeoning	6lbs	heavy, reach, two handed
polemace	mace	15gp	1d8 bludgeoning	5lbs	reach, two handed
scourge	flail	3gp	1d8 slashing	2lbs	light
spiked chain	flail	15gp	2d4 piercing	10lbs	finesse, reach, two handed
war scythe	axe	10gp	2d4 slashing	8lbs	reach, two handed

Weapon	Type	Cost	Damage	Weight	Properties
bolas	flail	1cp		-	special thrown (30/120)
boomerang	club	10gp	1d4 bludgeoning	1lb	special, thrown (30/120)
shuriken	knife	2sp	14d piercing	1/10lbs	finesse, light, thrown (30/120)
slingstaff	sling	2sp	1d6 bludgeoning	4lbs	ammunition(60/240) two handed

Special
Boomerang: On a miss, a boomerang returns to the thrower's hand.
Garrote: You may attempt to grapple while wielding a garrote with both hands. A Large or smaller creature with a defined throat hit by a garrote while grappled by the wielder takes 1d12 bludgeoning damage and is silenced until the start of the attacker's next turn.
Longspear: You must wield a longspear two handed unless you have a Strength of 13 or greater.

 

[Rabulias]

here is the basics of the martial weapons I've added to 5e. Enjoy

Thanks for sharing! Just a couple questions to pick your brain behind your reasoning on some of these.

• Garrote is a flail? I mean, I guess I can see the idea of wrapping the weapon around part of your opponent, but it seems really quite different in usage.
• Would you still apply a Fighter's Great Weapon Fighting to a Garrote's damage?
• Following up with the first bullet above, briefly what effect does the Type of the weapon have in your games?
• Typo: Polehammer has no price.
• Spiked Chain with 2d4 allows it to benefit slightly more from Great Weapon Fighting, which seems counter to GWF's "shtick." With a finesse weapon like this, it seems odd to get more power and a higher damage. Any reason (other than tradition) you see for the 2d4 vs something like 1d8?
• What are your rules on Bolas?
• Typo: Shuriken damage should be 1d4 not 14d; otherwise, monks must be popular in your game! ;-)